Recent findings presented at the 2025 American Physiology Summit that have not yet peer-reviewed or published, suggest that erythritol, often used in candies and baked goods in place of sugar, may affect the function of blood vessels.

Researchers warn that the study indicates that the sweetener could inhibit the brain’s ability to produce a crucial compound that helps maintain healthy blood flow. The researchers did cautioned that more comprehensive studies are required before drawing definitive conclusions about the sweetner's affect on human health.

Researchers found that when human brain cells were exposed to erythritol, these cells exhibited increased oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is an imbalance in the body between free radicals and antioxidants that can lead to a range of detrimental chronic health effects such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, and inflammatory diseases.

While processed sugar definitely comes with its own problems, the sugar substitutes are often turning out to be worse than the real thing.